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If you have a Mac and have not yet downloaded the latest security update and quicktime update, READ THIS!!!

Several hours ago, I ran a software update on my mac only to find that afterwards, my finder kept crashing and re-setting (my desktop icons kept disappearing and reappearing every 2 min., and any open windows would close)

I spent 4 hours backing up everything I had to DVD's thinking that my old G4 was on her death bed.

Tried disk utilities, resetting the PRAM, etc... no luck.
As a last ditch effort I did a google search and lo and behold, I found a forum where they were discussing this problem. And someone found the fix!

Apparently, the newest version of quicktime has a conflict with ...stuffit??
Anyway, it was a one click solution and it worked for me.

Here's what you need to do to resolve this issue:

It all seems to be linked to Stuffit and a preference called Stuffit AVR (Archive Via Rename): In your system preferences go to the bottom and click on the Stuffit AVR option. Click the Stuffit AVR tab on the left, and click the "STOP" button. This should do the trick. For some reason this is cycling through our desktop/finder and causing so much of the frustration since this update.

Hopefully this will save any of my fellow Mac users from experiencing the same panic/desperation that I was going though for the last 6 hours.

I take it if you don't have stuffit installed this is not a problem? I installed the updates earlier today but have not restarted yet. Thanks for the heads up. At least if it starts acting funny I won't soil my shorts immediately as I normally would.

This aside... your G4 prolly is on its deathbed. Both of mine are. I use one to run my TV and the other just sits in a closet.

I love macs, i hate apple. Been using the stuff since I was 4 years old, but I can't stand all the BS that comes with the OS and Hardware.

i mean, here's your prime example

Security update makes the system behave erratically? no thanks

If it happened to so many people that it needed a forum thread then why didn't the apple software people notice it before releasing it?

and iTunes? updating just to stop hacks. Seriously, there was a hack for awhile to get ringtones on the iPhone, any ringtone. There was an update just to stop this...that's it...no other point in the code.

Thanks for sharing Gino! I'm sort of in agreement that this issue is probably an issue with a G4/PPC chipset and the newer intel tuned components. What version of stuffit do you have loaded? Personally I gave up on stuffit about 5 years ago. Since Apple built ZIP compression into the system, there's almost no need for stuffit anymore. I have a "desklamp" G4 iMac and iBook G4 at home, but neither have stuffit. Sorry you had this problem, but hey, it could be worse... you could have windows, right?